Mare Crisium
Mare Crisium is a large basalt-filled lunar basin on the Moon's near side, known in English as the Sea of Crises.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Mare Crisium, Latin for “Sea of Crises,” is a prominent lunar mare and impact basin on the Moon’s near side. It lies just northeast of Mare Tranquillitatis and appears from Earth as a small, dark feature near the eastern edge of the lunar disk. The formation is approximately 556 kilometres in diameter and covers about 176,000 square kilometres. Its exceptionally flat interior was created when basaltic lava flooded and solidified within an ancient impact basin of Nectarian age. The mare is bordered by a ring of wrinkle ridges, including Dorsa Tetyaev, Dorsum Oppel, Dorsum Termier, and Dorsa Harker. Several notable geological features occur around or within the basin. Promontorium Agarum projects into the mare from the southeast, while the western margin contains the degraded crater Yerkes. The crater Lick lies to the southeast, and Picard, Peirce, and Swift are located near the western and central parts of the basin. Rays from the crater Proclus spread across the northwestern portion, and the smaller Mare Anguis is visible to the northeast. The basin has also been important in lunar geophysics. Doppler measurements from the five Lunar Orbiter spacecraft led to the identification in 1968 of a mascon, or mass concentration, beneath the central mare. Later missions, including Lunar Prospector and GRAIL, mapped and confirmed this gravitational anomaly at greater resolution. The feature therefore provides information about the structure of large impact basins, the distribution of basaltic fill, and the Moon’s internal mass concentrations. The name now used internationally was introduced as part of Giovanni Riccioli’s lunar nomenclature system of 1651, which subsequently became standard. Earlier maps gave the region different names. Thomas Harriot, Pierre Gassendi, and Michael van Langren used “Caspian Sea,” probably because the mare’s position on lunar maps appeared analogous to the Caspian Sea’s position on terrestrial maps. William Gilbert’s lunar map from around 1600 called it “Brittania,” after Britain. Mare Crisium has featured repeatedly in lunar exploration and popular culture. The Soviet probe Luna 15 crash-landed there on 21 July 1969, during the same period as the Apollo 11 landing. The Soviet Luna 24 mission later collected and returned lunar material from the region, delivering its sample to Earth on 22 August 1976. In 2025, Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander delivered NASA-sponsored experiments and commercial payloads to a site northwest of Mons Latreille in Mare Crisium as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The mission completed its objectives, including a test of an electrodynamic dust shield intended to limit lunar dust accumulation. The landscape has also served as a setting for fiction and entertainment. Arthur C. Clarke used the surrounding mountains as the location of the mysterious structure in his 1948 short story “The Sentinel.” Mare Crisium appears in Warhammer 40,000, the 2022 film Moonfall, and the Call of Duty games Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Because it is a clearly defined, visible, and scientifically significant feature, Mare Crisium remains one of the most recognizable named regions on the Moon.
History
Mare Crisium is an ancient impact basin on the Moon that was later flooded by basaltic lava. The resulting mare has a very level floor and is surrounded in places by wrinkle ridges produced by deformation of the solidified volcanic plains. Geologically, the basin is of Nectarian age, placing its origin in an early period of lunar history when large impacts were common. Its position and dark appearance made Mare Crisium a conspicuous feature for early lunar cartographers. William Gilbert’s lunar map from approximately 1600 labelled it “Brittania.” During the seventeenth century, Thomas Harriot, Pierre Gassendi, and Michael van Langren referred to it as the “Caspian Sea,” apparently drawing an analogy between its position on the Moon and the terrestrial Caspian Sea. Giovanni Riccioli’s 1651 nomenclature system introduced the Latin name Mare Crisium, meaning “Sea of Crises.” Riccioli’s system became the basis for the standardized names used in modern lunar cartography. The basin measures roughly 556 kilometres across and encompasses approximately 176,000 square kilometres. Its margins and interior contain a number of named geological features. Promontorium Agarum forms a cape-like projection in the southeast. Yerkes is a degraded crater or palimpsest on the western rim, while Lick lies toward the southeast. Picard is situated east of Yerkes, with Peirce and Swift to its northwest. The ray system from Proclus overlays the northwestern mare, and Mare Anguis can be seen beyond the northeastern margin. The basin’s outer boundaries include wrinkle-ridge systems known as Dorsa Tetyaev, Dorsum Oppel, Dorsum Termier, and Dorsa Harker. Mare Crisium became an important target for lunar geophysical research when Doppler tracking of the five Lunar Orbiter spacecraft revealed a central mascon in 1968. Mascons are localized gravitational highs associated with major impact basins and their dense subsurface structures. Later spacecraft, including Lunar Prospector and the GRAIL mission, confirmed and refined the mapping of the Mare Crisium anomaly. These observations helped improve understanding of the basin’s formation, volcanic infill, crustal structure, and gravitational field. The region has a notable exploration history. The Soviet Luna 15 mission ended with a crash landing in Mare Crisium on 21 July 1969, the same day that Apollo 11 astronauts were conducting the first crewed lunar landing elsewhere. Luna 24 subsequently achieved a successful sample-return mission, bringing material from Mare Crisium back to Earth on 22 August 1976. The area was later revisited by modern lunar mapping and landing efforts. Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander reached a site northwest of Mons Latreille on 2 March 2025 under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The mission completed its objectives by 16 March, including an experiment involving an electrodynamic dust shield designed to reduce the accumulation of lunar regolith on spacecraft surfaces. The mare’s distinctive geography has made it useful in literature and popular culture. Arthur C. Clarke placed the mysterious structure in his 1948 short story “The Sentinel” in the mountains surrounding Mare Crisium. The feature is also used as a setting in Warhammer 40,000, the film Moonfall, and the Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops III games. In these fictional works, its isolation, large basin, and association with unexplored lunar terrain support stories about discovery, military activity, and hidden structures.
- 2025
Commercial lunar landing in Mare Crisium
[1]Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander completed a landing northwest of Mons Latreille and conducted NASA-sponsored and commercial investigations.
- 1976
Luna 24 sample return
[1]Luna 24 returned a lunar soil sample from Mare Crisium to Earth on 22 August.
- 1969
Luna 15 crash landing
[1]The Soviet Luna 15 probe crash-landed in Mare Crisium on 21 July during the Apollo 11 mission period.
- 1968
Central mascon identified
[1]Doppler tracking of the five Lunar Orbiter spacecraft revealed a mass concentration beneath the center of Mare Crisium.
- 1651
Riccioli establishes the name Mare Crisium
[1]Giovanni Riccioli’s lunar nomenclature system introduced the Latin name Mare Crisium, which later became standardized.
- 1600
William Gilbert labels the region “Brittania”
[1]An early lunar map attributed to William Gilbert, dating to around 1600, used the name “Brittania” for the feature.
Products and positioning
A named lunar geological feature rather than a commercial brand. Its significance is primarily scientific, historical, exploratory, and cultural.
Recent events
- 2025
Firefly lunar lander completes Mare Crisium mission[1]
Product launch · Other
Firefly Aerospace completed a landing in Mare Crisium on 2 March 2025 and ended the mission on 16 March after completing its objectives, including an electrodynamic dust-shield experiment.
- 1976
Luna 24 returns a sample from Mare Crisium[1]
Other
The Soviet Luna 24 mission successfully returned lunar soil from Mare Crisium to Earth on 22 August 1976.
- 1969
Luna 15 crash-lands in Mare Crisium[1]
Other
The Soviet Luna 15 probe crash-landed in Mare Crisium on 21 July 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission period.
Sources1 sources
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